Newbury AC star Fry back running 12 weeks after suffering serious foot injury
Newbury’s Izzy Fry took a huge step on the long road to recovery when she ran for the first time 12 weeks after sustaining a high grade tear in her plantar.
The 23-year-old suffered the injury to her plantar fascia, the part of the foot that connects the heel bone to the toes, when she was running the Trafford 10k in Manchester at the beginning of March.
Fry, who still managed to finish the race in an impressive time of 32:47, knocking more than a minute-and-a-half off Newbury Athletic Club’s women’s record, said she felt pain almost immediately after she started the race.
That pain worsened as the race progressed and around the halfway mark Fry started to really suffer and was in serious discomfort when she crossed the finish line.
While waiting for her teammates to join her at the finish, Fry took time to prepare herself for the worst, writing in her notes app on her phone that whatever happened, she could get through it.
While plantar fasciitis is a common, chronic plague for runners, it tends to occur gradually and so athletes can prevent serious problems simply by taking a break.
However a high grade tear like Fry’s is far rarer, arises unexpectedly and has ruled the runner out for all of the track season, although she hopes to return in the winter to fulfill at least some of the cross-country schedule.
The runner, who is dealing with a serious injury for the first time, admits the past three months have been some of the most challenging of her life, but that she’s managed to maintain a positive mindset as she works hard to recover.
“It’s been extremely difficult at times,” she said.
“It came as a bit of a surprise because it’s something of a freak injury.
“It’s an acute injury and it happened very suddenly, there were no warning signs.
“I hadn’t had any pain in my foot at all.
“The day before the race I noticed a bit of tightness but I didn’t think much of it.
“As soon as I set off in the race I felt a sort of low cramping feeling.
“Then, about halfway, I felt a much more severe cramping sensation and it was very painful.
“Adrenaline took me through and I didn’t think it was anything more serious than a bit of cramp so I managed to finish the race.
“Almost as soon as I finished and stopped, I knew it was something a lot worse.
“The arch of my foot felt rock solid, there was no movement in it and so I limped back to my bag.
“I was put in a wheelchair and taken to the car and was very fortunate to get an MRI scan within three days, which showed a big tear along the plantar.”
Since then, it’s been a long journey for Fry, who wasn’t able to put any weight on her foot for two weeks and was in a protective boot.
She’s had a series of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections, which promote and accelerate healing, while also making the most of the things she can do, like cycling and light gym work.
She said: “It’s been a slow, slow process.
“I’ve had to keep my steps really limited and I’ve had to be careful with what I do in the gym.
“I’m really grateful for all the care and support I’ve received and I’m finally able to start increasing my workload now.”
Of course, there’s never a good time to get injured, but Fry looked like she was just finding some form following a difficult few months on the track when she’d struggled to hit the heights she’d have liked.
However, Fry’s tried hard not to be discouraged and in fact feels she was fortunate to have put in a good performance in Manchester before the bad news, as it meant she wasn’t left to dwell on fears about her form.
“In a way, that was what was most gutting,” she said.
“After a bit of a tough winter where I wasn’t racing like my usual self, that Trafford 10k race felt like it could be a turning point.
“I was racing aggressively and I wasn’t lacking any confidence, which was a really nice feeling and I felt like it could have propelled me into a successful summer.
“At the same time, had I not had a good race then I think dealing with the injury actually would have been much harder.
“The 10k race has given me that glimmer of hope that when I do get back running, I can get back to a place in terms of performance that I’m proud of.”
Amongst other things, Fry spent a week of warm weather training in the Algarve thanks to help from Energy Saving Lighting but, even more than the Portuguese spring sunshine, feels maintaining a positive mindset has helped her make it to this stage in the recovery process.
She said: “Having never had a serious injury before, it’s been a lot of unknowns.
“It took a while to sink in and by that time I was able to come to terms with it and accept it.
“I know I have to be patient and I’ve almost taken some of the pressure off myself so that I don’t try and rush back too soon.
“Rather than focus on what I can’t do, I’ve tried to think about the things I can do and find joy in them.
“Of course, it’s been difficult and being injured can be lonely at times, but I’m proud of how I’ve handled it and there’s light at the end of the tunnel.”
Fry’s return to running last week was limited to just five minutes but she’s hopeful she’ll be able to resume semi-regular training towards the end of the summer.
“It’s still hard to put a timescale on when I’ll be back competing,” she said.
“It’s baby steps, a five minute run will increase to seven-and-a-half-minutes and by the end of the month I should be able to do around 40 minutes.
“I’m hoping that by July and August I’ll be able to do some more consistent mileage, so at least I get to do it in the nice weather.
“The main aim now is looking towards the cross-country season in the winter.”
